The tiled façade is perforated with round windows of varying sizes, with two rows of windows per floor to provide views of the surrounding city.

The pattern of the tiles is determined by the size and positioning of window openings, while the size of windows depends on the corresponding interior function.

Perforations on the north side are larger and more frequent than those in the south side to regulate light levels.

The college has an area of 17,000m2 and will house 1,400 students in inter-disciplinary, open-plan work spaces over four interconnected storeys.

The ground floor incorporates 1,700m2 of public retail space.

An atrium at the north entrance is intended for use by the public while the south side contains a private atrium for students and staff on a raised platform, suspended from steel girders over the ground floor lecture hall.

An interior bridge spanning east to west overlooks both the public north and private south sides of the building.

The atrium stairs provide sightlines throughout the building exposing all activities taking place in the college.

Here's some text from the Architects:

Ravensbourne, London UK

The new building for Ravensbourne, a university sector college innovating in digital media and design, will be located at Greenwich Peninsula on the South-Eastern edge of The O2 building, to the right of the North-South axis that structures the masterplan.

By moving to this extraordinary location, Ravensbourne aims to deliver education to meet the shifting demands of 21st century learners – learners who expect access to resources and support on demand and whose needs can differ greatly depending on a variety of social and economic factors.

The new building is designed to stimulate the environment and working practices of creative professionals, providing the best in technology and mobile computing in an environment which enables a variety of learning styles.

The main strategy in the design of the building is to produce a structure which will encourage collaboration between the different disciplines and practitioners within Ravensbourne.

This will be achieved by structuring the building around a system of two interconnected atria, each piercing through three levels of program.

The atria have been systematically attached to the external facade in order not only to use them as ventilation devices, but also to connect visually the core of the public spaces in the building with the perception of the urban surroundings. The building is specified to reach a BREEAM qualification of environmental excellence.

Above: north elevation. Click for larger image

In order to achieve optimum environmental performance, low maintenance and high flexibility, the massing has been kept as compact as possible with a very low ratio of façade to area, and a deep building which is able to provides flexible space to host the various activities which take place in the building.

Above: east and west elevations. Click for larger image

The architecture of the building has been designed to express the culture of contemporary production, by using a non-periodic tiling system which symbolises a more diverse and contemporary approach to technology.

Above: south elevation. Click for larger image

Gothic rose windows and flower patterns have also been a rich field of inspiration for the project, but in this building they will not be produced as an imitation of nature but as an abstract construction.

Above: detailed window section. Click for larger image

To achieve this we have resorted to the use of a non-periodic tiling pattern on the façade, which allow us to build seven different types of windows out of only three different tiles.

It is a university sector college innovating in digital media and design, with a vocationally focused portfolio of courses, spanning fashion, television and broadcasting, interactive product design, architecture and environment design, graphic design, animation, moving image, music production for media and sound design.

Above: second floor plan. Click for larger image

It is a centre of excellence, industry accredited and a Skillset Media Academy. It has a community of approximately 1,400 students.

Above: third floor plan. Click above for larger image

In September 2010 Ravensbourne is relocating from Chislehurst to Greenwich Peninsula into a purpose built, state-of-the-art building which will offer collaborative work spaces, resources for networking, high-tech creative suites and wi-fi access throughout.

Above: roof plan. Click above for larger image

The building will be as much as destination for creative professionals and businesses as it is for students, and is built to the highest environmental standards as part of Ravensbourne’s strategy to minimise its carbon footprint.

Click above for larger image

The building will house a double-height HDTV studio with 6 channel capacity, moving lights, full autocue and green screen capability, alongside a second studio (4 channel) with virtual studio capability. It will also house a gallery with a studio mixer, a lighting desk and moving lights control.

Click above for larger image

The building’s central Atrium can be converted into one large HD studio. Additionally there will be a digital post production studio with surround sound suites.

(Click above for larger image)

FOREIGN OFFICE ARCHITECTS

Founded in London in 1993, Foreign Office Architects (FOA) has emerged as one of the most innovative and creative design firms working today, integrating architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture in a wide range of projects internationally. The project that established the practice’s reputation was the Yokohama Port Terminal in Japan, an imaginative hybrid of non-Cartesian industrial infrastructure and versatile social functionality, which architects and critics have called one of the most influential works of architecture of the last decade. Since then, FOA has amassed a diverse portfolio of built works around the world, ranging from transportation facilities to social housing projects.

Click for larger image

Over the years, FOA has won several prestigious competitions and commissions, including the BBC Music Box, for the network’s White City complex, in London; and it was selected as part of the United Architects team to submit a design for the World Trade Center, New York, in the aftermath of the September 11 attack. In 2002, the practice was selected to represent Great Britain at the 8th Venice Architecture Biennale.

Other completed projects for FOA include the John Lewis Department Store and Cineplex and pedestrian bridges in Leicester, UK; Carabanchel Social Housing in Madrid, Spain; the South-East Coastal Park in Barcelona, Spain; the Meydan Retail Complex and Multiplex in Istanbul, Turkey; the Spanish Pavilion at the 2005 International Expo in Aichi, Japan; and La Rioja Technology Transfer Centre, in Logroño, Spain.

GREENWICH PENINSULA

The £5 billion regeneration of 190 acres of Greenwich Peninsula is led by Lend Lease and Quintain, working in collaboration with the Homes and Communities Agency - a true public / private partnership. The scheme will create a thriving new riverside community for London over the next 20 years.

10,000 new homes in distinct residential neighbourhoods

24,000 permanent jobs

Peninsula Central - a new business district for London

150 new shops and restaurants

1.6 miles of river frontage; the distance between Waterloo and London Bridge

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oops, another misfire by FOA, and quite a big one.
the facade and decorative pattern compete with each other for attention. the interior and facade have about nothing to do with each other. that said, i still like the decorative motif and its development even if its deployment is less than stella. clearly this aesthetic pattern would work better for a mosque rather than what is proposed for here. oops, again.

So what? Did that kitschy cheer (obviously associated with money) make the facade more successful? Interiors? I don't think those even deserve a discussion on public forum. Would Dezeen publish it if would not carry brand name of FOA?
As Roger above noticed FOA's "another misfire". Too many tasteless projects for FOA, they become an architectural disappointment.

Gaynoir

The interior is beautiful it suits Ravensbourne. Back to being brutal!

I hate to go against the status quo but I actually quite like this = )
The rectilinear form of the tiles morph themselves into circular openings just as a student would apply freshly learnt techniques (of the institute) to their work to create something more dynamic than the sum of it's parts.
Admittedly the interior is a bit brutally grey - I bet it's pretty depressing in there on a dark & cloudy November day.

80s Revival. But why? Two buildings in one. Facade plus concrete skeleton. How about new / very old construction principles and a architecture resulting out of it? Resulting out of humans need? Like Seth already said - its sad.

farmag

where have the workshops gone?

Ell

The pattern is gorgeously intricate, but it gets muddy from afar.

Doug montgomery

Lovely tiling, but way too dark inside due to the architects insisting on crowbarring round windows into the scheme at all costs. Nearly worked but for that

What's wrong with FOA? The interior spaces are awful. This building is all about facade treatment. Users be damned.

AD

Charlie

This building is amazing to work in. The interior looks a bit like a car park granted but it is functional.

(Student at Rave)

no workshop?

Ravensbourne used have to have a large workshop now it has a large facade. It's comforting to know that the decision makers are comitted to design education.

FASHION

NO WORKSHOPS OR REALISTIC STUDIO SPACES DEDICATED FOR SOME PATHWAYS THAT REQUIRE A STUDIO BASED ENVIRONMENT. THEY SAY THEY GEAR YOU UP PREPARED FOR INDUSTRY, HOW? WORKING IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CLEARLY NOT BUILT FOR THE PURPOSES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED MORE CAREFULLY. THIS BUILDING DOESNT EVEN LOOK LIKE ITS BUILT FOR DESIGN AND CREATIVE STUDENTS. ITS JUST A MASSIVE SPACE READY MADE FOR BUSINESS, OFFICES AND CONFERENCES, EVERYTHING BUT RAVENSBOURNE STUDENTS' NEEDS...PRETTY UPSETTING TO SEE OUR FINAL YEAR SUFFER BUT AM SURE WERE GOING TO BE STRONG AND CLAIM OUR OWN SPACE JUST LIKE HOW OTHER PATHWAYS WILL NATURALLY - AND MAYBE WE CAN REDESIGN THE INTERIOR TO OUR LIKING TO IMPROVE OUR WORKSPACE-OUR HOME FOR THE NEXT YEAR...I HAVE PLENTY MORE TO RANT ABOUT BUT LETS JUST GET ON WITH IT AND EMBRACE OUR LAST YEAR TOGETHER AS A STRONG COURSE AND ALSO AS A WHOLE FAMILY OF MULTI-TALENTED RAVE STUDENTS : )

Education man

WORKSHOPS??????? Ravensbourne has made the worst possible decisions over the last 4 years. It has sold out its student education for the sake of a fancy address (and facade).

Luke

Another triumph of object architecture.

Windows used to be for letting in daylight and providing good views out. FOA have made this secondary to the purpose of facade decoration.

Still, as long as the photos look good and they appear in magazines the project is a success.

m_mimmi

I don't agree about the comments of it being all about the facade! The interior is in no way dull. I find it calm and inspiring rather than cluttered. As a creative professional/student that's exactly what you need. A work environment that is simple and airy. I am an interior design student and I find it inspiring. I would definitely not work well in an interior space that's to colourful or cluttered with decorations.

I actually really love this building. People never like change but this is so much more impressive than the old building and at the end of the day (providing the teaching is of an equally high standard) this will look brilliant to employers and that is the whole point of going to University.

Robin Baker sold it's soul for some crackpot idea about 'digital' being the future... that concept was around since the 70's it's nothing new.

No workshops, all outsourced 'build' for everything - what an oversight, with a joke of rebrand attached to it. Robin you should be ashamed.

Shmuck

I think one could argue the mockery of such a site to the nth degree until the beautiful black and white beasts come on down to your gaff. Clearly a positive departure from the rotting modernist block from which we once inhabited, but a questionable new home at the very least. For an institution that is constant in its pursuit to save, and cut resources, and for one that makes a reported £1m in profit per annum, it seems strange that they would neglect the crying needs and wants of a talented design community.

Clearly the visit by Prince Charles in the coming weeks will seal the deal, "it’s so good, its worthy of royalty!". That would surely stem the outcries of the student and professional body that heckle this, whilst beautiful looking externally, questionably programmed block.

Shmuck

Never mind, it’s by the 02, and anything next to the 02 has to be progressive and "cool". Consider the students? ha, never...consider idealism and re-phrase quotes from Le Corbusier... Robin Baker "a machine for learning in". Has anyone thought about passing this fine gentlemen a book outlining the success, or lack of, of some of Corbusiers "machines". Clearly that tid-bit was devoid of Robins glorious thinking capacity.

BHA

FOA = Laura Ashley

This is wallpaper design NOT Architecture!!!

jo smith

i think it's brilliant! both the exterior and interior! LOVE IT! I am a Design student at Parsons NYC but I would love to work/study at the Ravensbourne campus!

Najla

The building does not serve its purpose. The interior walls look crowded with the circular windows and the environment is quite dull. The facades does not look in any way innovative.

casey l

I briefly worked in the consultant's office in the building immediately adjacent to it, with an direct outlook to this building. It was very unpleasant for the office users with such busy pattern on the exterior wall. Apparently these are all ceramic tiles which would have costed a lot, unfortunately the end product looks more like powder coated metal panels.